Military expert assesses F-16s’ potential to turn tide on battlefield

He shared his view on Espreso TV.

“In addition to the war on the battlefield and in the air, there is a significant information war taking place. We may not see any official statements from the General Staff or the Air Force Command regarding the supply of F-16s. Only over time will Ukrainians learn about the use of this weapon on the battlefield,” Zhmaylo noted.

He recalled that a year ago when Ukraine was awaiting the arrival of the Patriot systems, the Ukrainian air defense was able to shoot down advanced Russian aeroballistic missiles that it had previously been unable to intercept. At that time, there was intense public pressure for top government officials to confirm whether Ukraine had received the Patriot systems. Under this pressure, the command eventually acknowledged that the systems had arrived.

“Information about the provision of Western weapons is kept secret because Russia closely monitors such details and adjusts its plans for further attacks on Ukrainian territory accordingly,” Zhmailo emphasized.

He also believes that the first F-16 fighters have already arrived in Ukraine.

"This summer, we will receive a small number of F-16s. Due to the limited number of aircraft, we will use them pointwise. The major challenge is to preserve the fighters, as Russian forces will actively seek them out. However, we should not expect that F-16s, in such limited numbers, will be a panacea or a turning point on the battlefield. They will aid in carrying out precision strikes, but we cannot say that they will change the course of the war,” Zhmailo added.

• On July 31, media reported that the first batch of F-16 fighter jets from NATO allies had already arrived in Ukraine.
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to reports of the arrival of the first F-16 fighter jets in Ukraine, claiming that they would be shot down.